Across the Pioneer Federation we use The Thrive Approach to support children with gaps in their early development.

Class teachers use the Thrive online profiling twice a year which allows us to identify individuals and groups that will benefit from Thrive support.

This approach ensures that the adult approach to the child facilitates the development of a good relationship where the adult is playful, loving, accepting, curious and emphatic. In addition, we use creative activities to access the side of the brain that came on line first when the gaps may have developed. The children are supported to recognise the sensations in their body, develop emotional vocabulary and recognise how these feelings are shown in others. We encourage them to think before making choices and acting, to know themselves and appreciate the special things about themselves.

The Thrive Approach acknowledges that there are different stages of development that come on line at different times building the foundations for future learning. Those children with gaps in the very early stages (BEING, DOING and THINKING) often find it challenging to access learning.

The online profiling system allows children to be identified with gaps at BEING, DOING and THINKING. Within the Pioneer federation we prioritise individual support for those children who have gaps at the earliest level – BEING. When time is limited and controls the numbers of children who can receive support, this is how we will allocate our places.

Other children (often in small groups) within a class may be identified and an action plan can be generated for the class teacher to use in class. This may be for small group work or strategies to use for the whole class but with special benefits to the identified small group.

Individual work is tailored to a child’s particular needs using the Thrive Online Action Planning tool. It is not intended to be group work, or something that other children can access unless indicated in the plan. Each session will usually be around 30 minutes with 15 minutes allocated to review, and plan and resource the next session.

It is important that there is consistency with the timing and frequency of sessions, but particularly the practitioner running the sessions. A safe and secure place for sessions to take place is crucial.

Thrive acknowledges that to reframe neural pathways takes over 500 repetitions and at Pioneer we recognise that Thrive support is not a ‘quick fix’. In general interventions will run for one set of children between November and April and then April and November. Children may receive more than one intervention run. This is reviewed using the individual and whole school profiling alongside other school monitoring systems.

Once a child has been identified for individual support parent consent is gained. Following this a further individual profile will be completed by the practitioner and class teacher together. This will then generate a focus for the individual action plan that will be carried out by the practitioner. Practitioners with the class teacher will review the child’s profile when appropriate but at least twice with the intervention period.